Automatic emergency air-brake-operating device for railways.



No. 811,687. PATENTED FEB. 6,1906.

J. P. BIRMINGHAM.

AUTOMATIC EMERGENUY AIR BRAKE OPERATING DEVICE FOR RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 31, 1905.

nsrer JOHN P. BIRMINGHAM, OF LEXINGTON, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO ROBERTCATLETT AND ROBERT ATHELSTAN MARR, OF LEXINGTON. VIRGINIA; WILLIAMGEORGE MATHEWS, OF CLIFTONFORGE, VIRGINIA, AND JAMES EASLEY EDMUNDS, DONPETERS HALSEY, AND JAMES I/VILLIAM GEROVV, OF LYNGHBURG, VIRGINIA.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed July 31,1905. $e1'ialNo. 272,025.

Patented Feb. 6, 1906.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Join: P. BIRMINGHAM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lexington, in the county of Rockbridge and State ofVirginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in AutomaticEmergency Air-Brake-Operating Devices for Railways, of which thefollowing is a specification.

'My present invention has relation to new and useful improvements inautomatic fluidpressure railway-brakes of the type which are operated tostop the car when a reduction of pressure takes place in the train-pipe,and more particularly those brakes which are au- I5 tomatically operatedto stop the train when a car is derailed.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an extremely simpleand at the same time highly-eflicient device which may be ap- 2o pliedto any of the brake systems now in general use and which willautomatically operate to release the train-pipe pressure should a car orcars be derailed.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved frangibleappliance adapted to be carried by the car-truck and connected to andcommunicating with the train-pipe and arranged to strike the rail orroad-bed should the car leave the track, whereby said appliance will bebroken to permit the pressure to escape from the train-pipe, and therebyset the brakes.

A further object is to provide a frangible device which will be ofsuflicient strength and 3 5 durability as not to break under ordinarycircumstances, but which will break with certainty when the car isderailed whether the derailment takes place at one side or the other ofthe track and without regard to the 4 direction in which the car ismoving.

The invention consists in the improved device, to be fully describedhereinafter, and the novelty of which will be particularly pointed outand distinctly claimed.

I have fully and clearly illustrated my invention in the accompanyingdrawings, to be taken as a wherein Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view ofa car truck having my improved appliance asso ciated therewith, thelatter being connected part of this specification, and

to the brake-pipe, which is shown in crosssection. Fig. 2 is aperspective view of the improved appliance.

Referring to the drawings, the referencenumeral 1 designates a car bodyof any wellknown construction, and 2 the supportingtruck therefor, thewheels 3 of the truck running upon the usual track-rails 4. Extendinglongitudinally of the car-body is the train-pipe 5, in which air underpressure is maintained during the ordinary running conditions, saidtrain-pipe being connected to a brake apparatus of any approvedconstruction, the elements of which are set in operation by a reductionof pressure in the trainpipe.

Securely and rigidly mounted on the cartruck at a point preferablydirectly over one of the track-rails is a vertical pipe 6, said pipebeing secured in position on the truck by means of a clamping-plate 7,the latter being fastened to the truck by suitable bolts 8. The upperend of the pipe 6 extends for a distance above the clamping-plate 7 andis connected, by means of a flexible hose-pipe 9, with alaterally-projecting nipple 10 on the train-pipe 5, said hose-pipe beingof such length as to permit the movement of the car-body relative to thetruck in the usual manner without disturbing the connection between thepipe 6 and the train-pipe.

The pipe 6 above referred to is preferably constructed of cast-ironwhich is brittle in its nature and subject to breakage when subj ectedto a blow or unusual strain, and this pipe is formed at its lower end ina particular manner to constitute a frangible device which will breakwhen subjected to excessive blows or strains, such as coming intocontact with the rails or road-bed while the train is running, but whichis sufficiently strong to remain intact against accidental breakageduring ordinary running conditions of the train. This frangible devicewill now be described. At a point just beneath the truck framing the ipe6 is carried in a direction coincident With the direction of the railsat an angle to the vertical portion of said pipe, as at 1.1, and is thendirected vertically downward, as at 12, at right angles to the section11 and parallel to the upper vertical portion.

The vertical portion 12 extends downward a short distance and the pipeis then carried at right angles thereto and parallel to section 11 to apoint substantially beneath the vertical portion 6, where it is againbent vertically downward, as at 14, and then inclined laterallydownward, as at 15, to a position short of the track-rail, where it iscarried horizontally, as at 16, for a distance across the rail in theform of a shoe, the end of the pipe being turned upwardly, as at 17, andclosed airtight by a thimble 18. The angles included in said pipe arefree anglesthat is, they are not inclosed, and by reason of that factafford definite points for rupture of the pipe in the event of accidentto the vehicle to which it is connected. Under ordinary runningconditions the horizontal portion 14 of the breakable pipe moves at ashort distance above the track-rail, and it will be seen that should thecar leave the track the horizontal portion of said pipe will come intocontact with the rail, and the weight of the car and trucks being thrownonto said pipe will cause it to break at at least one of the anglesthereof, owing to the brittleness of the cast-iron of which said pipe ismade. The breaking of the pipe at any point opens the train-pipe to theatmosphere and causes a reduction of pressure in said train-pipe wherebythe brakes are set. In order to insure the breakage of the frangiblepipe, the same may be weakened at the several angles thereof by cuttingnotches 19 therein; but while these notches are preferable they are notabsolutely nesessary, as the nature of the material of which the pipe ismade will render it readily breakable when subjected to great strain.

It is not necessary that thefrangible pipe be constructed precisely asshown in the drawings, the gist of the invention consisting in providinga pipe of breakable material formed of sections arranged at an angle toeach other; but it is preferable to construct the pipe as shown in orderthat it will be certain to break at some point no matter to which sideof the track the car is derailed or without regard to the direction inwhich the car travels. I 1

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an automatic fluid-pressure brake system, the combination with thetrain-pipe, of a frangible pipe connected thereto and having alaterally-deflected portion terminating close to and at one side of therailwayrail, and a shoe portion extending across and close to the railand terminating in a free end at the other side of the rail.

2. In an automatic fluid-pressure brake system, the combination of thetrain-pipe, a frangible pipe adapted to be broken by contact with theroad-bed or track upon the derailment of the train, said pipe havingportions thereof angularly disposed and presenting free angles, and aflexible pipe connecting said train and frangible pipes.

3. In an automatic fluid-pressure brake system, the combination with thetrain-pipe and a frangible pipe connected thereto and adapted to bebroken by contact with the road-bed or track upon the derailment of thetrain, said pipe having portions thereof disposed at an angle to eachother, one.of said portions extending transversely of the trackrail andanother extending longitudinally thereof, said pipe being weakened atthe anles.

g 4. In an automatic fluid-pressure brake system, the combination of thetrain-pipe, and a frangible pipe connected thereto and adapted to bebroken by contact with the road-bed or track upon the derailment of thetrain, said pipe having portions thereof disposed at angles to eachother, said portions being arranged in different planes, the anglesbetween the different angular portions of the pipe being free angles,for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JOHN P. BIRMINGHAM. Witnesses:

H. O. WISE, B. EsTEs VAUGHAN.

